


Poverty of Self

by brohne



Category: Thief (Video Games)
Genre: Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-29
Updated: 2014-06-29
Packaged: 2018-02-06 15:53:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1863573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brohne/pseuds/brohne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>All stories begin somewhere...</i>
  <br/>
  <a href="http://s369.photobucket.com/user/brohne_photos/media/Poverty-of-Self.jpg.html"></a>
  <br/>
  <img/>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poverty of Self

Too slow. Too slow. Too _slow_. The pick slipped off the tumbler with a loud clack. Garrett flinched and glanced around. It was taking too long. The guard only took two minutes and thirty five seconds to make his rounds and it was coming up on two minutes. Taking a breath Garrett concentrated. There should only be a couple more pins. Why was this lock so complicated? Every other one he’d picked only had three pins including the exterior door he’d used to enter the residence. The pick trembled in his fingers and he almost missed the slight vibration of the pin sliding into its slot. There was a click and the tumbler turned. Quickly putting the pick and wrench away Garrett glanced around. The heavy clomp of the guard’s boots was more felt than heard.

As he reached up to pull the handle down Garrett noticed a small mechanism on the door frame. He’d been too focused on the lock itself and had missed seeing it. There was no time to wonder what it was, the guard was going to turn the corner any second and he would be in full view. He pulled down the handle and pushed.

The soft puff of air was the only warning. Searing pain shot through his arm and leg and across his stomach. He stumbled forward into the room trying to bite back the yelp.

"Who’s there?"

Garrett staggered to his feet and turned to shut the door behind him. The handle was ripped from his grasp as the door was slammed open. He ducked to the side as the guard shouted.

“Intruder!”

A heavy fist caught him in the back of the head knocking him into the wall. Another hit sent him sprawling on the lush carpet. He tried to push himself up on shaking arms and was rammed to the ground. A boot came down on his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut at the rattle of a sword leaving its scabbard.

“Thad! Stop!” A woman’s voice commanded. “You’ll get blood all over my new carpet.”

There was a pause and the clatter of the sword being returned to its sheath. He opened his eyes as rich velvet fabric entered his field of vision.

“He’s just a boy. Let the Watch deal with him.”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll take him down to the gate then.”

Garrett clenched his teeth to keep from yelping as the man grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to his feet. The woman stared down at him as another guard walked up behind her. He glanced around, but there were no easy escape routes. He winced as the guard let go of his hair and seized his arm.

“Oh my, take him out quickly Thad, he stinks.” The woman had a handkerchief out and was holding it over her face.

“Filthy little gutter shite.”

“Looks like the trap got him.” Another guard commented.

“Well it was money well spent then. Hurry up Thad before he gets blood on the floor. Lamont reset the trap and make sure nothing is missing.”

Garrett struggled to keep his feet as the man dragged him down the hall. He couldn’t think, his whole body numb. As they reached the front entrance Garrett tried to jerk away from the man, but the grip on his arm only tightened. The door was thrust open, and Garrett blinked against the brightly lit front courtyard. It was late evening but the courtyard was bright as day. It hurt his eyes but he didn’t dare close them. He needed to find an escape route.

“What’s this Thad?”

“A thief, caught him trying to get into the spare bedroom.”

“He have anything on him?” The other man was not as tall but rounder, the flabby jowls quivering as he gestured to Garrett.

“Not checked.”

Garrett flinched trying to avoid the other man as he reached out. Large fingers grabbed his chin, yanking his head up. Pale eyes stared down at him. He stared back, dizzy from holding his breath. His vision pulsed in and out along with the rapid pounding of his heart.

“Heh, he looks to be about my boy’s age. No more than sixteen I’d wager. Maybe they’ll put him to work at the Vale Street Ironworks instead of hanging him. Might get a few months to a year’s labor out of him.” The fingers tightened for a moment before letting go. “Take him down to the Watch station. They can decide what to do with him. And take those bolts out first”

Garrett stood shivering in the early dawn gloom. The shackles were an unfamiliar and unwelcome weight on his wrists. Blood still trickled down his arm from where the Watch guard had removed the small bolt. Garrett’s lip still stung where he’d bit down on it to keep from crying out. The men had laughed and shoved him to the ground making fun of everything from his clothes to his height and unkempt appearance.

“Nothing but a gutter rat.”

“A week in the stocks and we’ll see how eager he is to steal again.”

Garrett’s heart sank. He wasn’t sure he’d survive a week in the stocks. He’d watched other people endure the abuse and neglect of being put in the stockades. Some died. Others never recovered and died later. Those that survived usually ended up worse off than before. Begging for scraps and eating from the gutter. He wasn’t going to end up like them. He’d made that decision a long time ago. Though now it looked like the choice was being taken from him. His plan to steal enough to take to one of the fences in Stonemarket looked like it was going to cost him a lot more than he’d anticipated.

“I’m not going to pillory him but use the stocks given his age. He might still learn. Take him to Greystone Plaza. There is a free set there.” The Captain puffed on his pipe for a moment before blowing the smoke in Garrett’s face.

Garrett coughed and tried to pull away from the man holding him. He was cuffed and dragged down the street. There weren’t many people about this early, mostly merchants huddled in their coats as they headed for their shops. He glanced up at the man then down at his belt. The key to the shackles was right there. If he took it now he’d notice when they got to the plaza and Garrett wasn’t sure he’d be able to outrun him right then. He was exhausted from being up all night and the crust of moldy bread he’d eaten two days ago was long gone. Something had to change or he wasn’t going to survive another winter. He might not survive this week if he didn’t think of something.

They were nearing the plaza. He recognized the change in architecture. He’d read about the building of the wall between Stonemarket and Greystone but he couldn’t recall the details at the moment. He was more worried about staying on his feet as they walked through the gate. He frowned seeing the stocks. There was only one set not occupied.

“Let’s go boy. It’s fucking cold and I haven’t had any coffee yet.”

Desperation began to set in as they neared the wooden contraption. Garrett fought to keep his breathing even though his heart pounded in his throat. The only one left was nearly as tall as he was and had holes for wrists and head.

“Eh, you’re not gonna fit in that one. Here you, wake up!” The guard prodded the man in the next set over. He was fastened by his ankles and was laying back sound asleep.

“Oi! Wake up you lazy gutter shite!”

Garrett flinched at the thud of boot into flesh and the pained grunt.

“What? What’d I do?”

The guard jerked Garrett around and shoved him to the ground, “Stay there. I’ll knock you out if you move.”

He knelt and unlocked the stock and pulled the other man to his feet. “You get a change of view blackhand.”

“Oh but I liked where I was, it was easier to look up the ladies’ skirts.”

Garrett glanced around. He could take off while the guard was occupied, but he needed the key to the shackles first. That and he was having a hard time focusing. Everything kept fading in and out, black creeping in at the edges of his vision. He wasn’t entirely sure he could get up right then.

Wood rattled against wood and then he was being pulled over to the stocks. He kicked at the guard and got back handed hard enough he blacked out for a moment. When he opened his eyes again the man was getting to his feet. Garrett lurched up grabbing for his belt.

“Get off me!”

Garrett fell back with a yelp as the man kicked him. He twisted away as much to avoid the blows as to hide the key ring from the man. He lay there unmoving until the man decided he’d had enough. He didn’t move until the sound of footsteps on the cobblestones faded.

He pushed himself up on an elbow and looked down at the ring of keys in his hand. He just hoped it was the right set.

“You … did you … you did!”

Garrett looked over at the man who was staring at the key ring.

“How the fuck did you manage that?”

Garrett shrugged and started trying keys. “Distraction.”

The man snorted. “You mind giving me those keys when you get done?”

Garrett looked over at him. “Why?”

“W-why?” The man sputtered for a moment, then quieted a calculating look in his eyes. “It’ll mean some food for you.”

Garrett shook his head. “I’ll get my own.”

“Coin then?”

Garrett stopped and looked at him again. He thought for a moment. “Fifty gold.”

“F-fifty! Are you fucking around with me you little shit!”

Garrett shrugged and went back to trying keys. A few minutes passed.

“Okay. Okay, you win. Dammit, you win. Shit. I’ll get you fifty if you get me out of here.”

Garrett smiled to himself as the key turned and the lock sprang loose. He pulled it free of the wood and shoved the slat up. He winced as he got to his feet. He leg was throbbing as was his arm. He needed a place to stay to heal for a few days but so far he’d not found any place permanent. Walking over to the man he looked at him. He didn’t seem that old, not as old as the guard who’d brought him here.

“You gonna unlock it.”

“No.”

“NO! You said you would!”

“When I have the fifty.”

“Burricks balls you drive a hard bargain kid.”

Garrett just looked at him.

“Okay, how am I supposed to get fifty coin when I’m stuck in here?”

Garrett shrugged and walking over handed the key ring to the man.

“What? You can’t leave! I can’t unlock this myself.”

“50 gold for the keys. Another 50 to unlock it.”

The man gapped at him blinking several times. He finally shut his mouth and looked Garrett up and down.

“Okay listen. You unlock this, I’ll make sure you get your 100 coin and plenty more. You’re not like these other blackhands. You’re smart and I can use smart.”

Garrett watched him for a moment. “Go on.”

“I’m a boxman. Well, I was. I’m trying to get out of the business. I could use someone smart with quick hands to do a few little jobs for me.”

“What kind of jobs?”

“Probably not much different from what you have been doing. Just stealing a few things here and there. You go get them, bring the back to me and I sell them.”

“As a fence.”

“Exactly! C’mon what have you got to lose?”

Garrett looked around the plaza. The idea intrigued him.

“Well kid?”

“It’s Garrett.”

“I’m Basso.”


End file.
